The present invention relates to an information presentation system in which a server for providing electronic data, and an information presentation terminal are connected via a communication means such as Ethernet, ATM, or a telephone line to present information requested by users on the information presentation terminal, an information presentation terminal, an information presentation method in the information presentation terminal, and an information obtaining method of obtaining information to be presented and, more particularly, a system in which a large-capacity storage medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory) or a DVD-ROM (Digital Video Disc Read Only Memory) is arranged on the information presentation terminal to efficiently search for/present information having a large data amount and capable of being partially updated frequently, such as a goods catalogue, map information, a dictionary, an encyclopedia, or a magazine article.
In recent years, the Internet has remarkably spread, and is particularly used for information acquisition and shopping with a WWW (World Wide Web) browser such as "Netscape Navigator".
In the case of shopping, a customer accesses the home page of a distributor on the Internet to select the genre of desired goods. If the customer looks and likes some goods, the customer performs a purchase procedure.
Goods such as clothing, furniture, and pets should be presented clearly and in detail by vivid color photographs or moving images.
In practice, however, sending a vivid color photograph or a moving image increases the load on the customer such as telephone charges or waiting time, so the image quality has to be sacrificed.
In another system, a goods catalogue, map information, or the like is stored in a relatively-low-cost, large-capacity storage medium such as a CD-ROM, and referred to with a personal computer or the like. The CD-ROM can store about 20,000 color still images (calculated assuming one image data amount of about 30 KB by JPEG and a CD-ROM capacity of about 0.6 GB).
In the case of the mail order system, an electronic catalogue stored in a CD-ROM is delivered to the customer semiannually for example, and the customer refers to the color photographs of goods stored in the electronic catalogue to place orders.
In this method, information is updated only when an electronic catalogue is periodically distributed to prospective customers. For this reason, the dealer must keep the stock as long as the catalogue remains valid. In addition, the price is difficult to change at short notice, posing a problem in terms of cost.
To solve the problems of the above-described two systems, a system using a combination of an electronic catalogue stored in a CD-ROM or the like, and the Internet has recently been introduced.
For example, in the catalogue shopping of clothing, determining the genre of goods the user wants, displaying of the photographs of some goods simultaneously on one window, and presenting more detailed photographs of interested one performed by referring to electronic data stored in a CD-ROM. Confirmation of the stock status, and placing orders are performed between the CD-ROM and the server via the Internet.
As for the hotel reservation, checking the equipment and service contents of several hotels at a prospective lodging place is performed by referring to electronic data stored in a CD-ROM. Checking the vacant room status, and reservation are performed between the CD-ROM and the server via the Internet.
In this manner, in the information presentation system using both the CD-ROM and the Internet, high-quality image data can be quickly displayed, and varying information can be obtained from the server of a mail-order dealer or a reservation agent, and displayed. In this system, the user need not care whether the presented information is read from the CD-ROM or the one received from the server.
The above-described current information presentation system using a combination of a CD-ROM and the Internet can rapidly display high-quality image data and present varying information, compared to the conventional information presentation system using the Internet only and the one using the CD-ROM only.
The current information presentation system, however, still has the following problems.
More specifically, first, electronic data of a CD-ROM is usable to change on the server side. For example, even if color photographs of goods recorded on a CD-ROM are found to be wrong, they cannot be replaced with correct ones unless a new CD-ROM is distributed. Even if the new CD-ROM is distributed, the previous CD-ROM may still be used. Similarly, electronic data on the CD-ROM is difficult to update along with the addition or removal of goods.
Second, only a uniform goods catalogue is provided to all the users. Since a CD-ROM can store about 20,000 color photographs, as described above, needs for a special page accessible from only the customers selected by the dealer may arise. To realize this in the current system, two kinds of CD-ROMs must be prepared for specific customers and for general customers, respectively.
The third problem arises when the information presentation system is used to display, e.g., a map. The information of a map becomes obsolete partially due to opening a new expressway, a one-way traffic regulation, a town name change, or the like. In displaying the map of a desired area, even if its part becomes obsolete, the current system undesirably displays the obsolete map recorded on the CD-ROM.